Maria’s Raven is done. The final touches were applied today.

This is one of the most extended single art projects in Maria’s fiber art career. She worked long and hard to learn about the Raven and its symbolism and how to represent this remarkable bird’s magic, its evocative aura and all.

The Raven has been in her head for a long time. It’s time to come out. I imagine more will follow.

The mushrooms were a surprising and imaginative touch. One of the symbols of the Raven is the power of reality; mushrooms are seen to have similar special powers also. All year, Maria has been walking in the woods and almost always seen Ravens and mushrooms together in the same places; she always thinks of them together.

The mushrooms in her fiber painting are taken from the beautiful photographs she’s been taking of mushrooms and posting on her blog. There are a lot of elements and feelings going into this piece. The Raven has a lot of meaning in her life and now her work -that’s how a lot of art gets made.

I love this backstory; it says so much about how art is conceived, made, and passed into the world. It says a lot about how Maria is evolving as an artist. And how the mysterious and mischievous Raven has touched the imagination of the world.

Ravens are messengers of the gods in several cultures’ mythology. The myths and mysticism of the Ravens go back a long way in human history. People see more things in Ravens than almost any animal or bird I know.

In Greek mythology, the Raven, originally white, was the messenger of Apollo. In the legends, the Raven conveyed that Coronis, Apollo’s lover, had been unfaithful. Ravens have been associated with truth, illness, and even death (Poe.)

The Raven also symbolizes prophecy, insight, transformation, and intelligence. It can also represent long-term success in love and finding devoted, faithful partners. Ravens are known for tolerating and connecting with individual human beings. They avoid groups of people.

This fiber painting of the Raven was sold even before it was finished, and in the past week, Maria sold every Raven potholder she had made. The Raven has made it into many people’s minds, myself included. I’ve got two books about Ravens that I’m reading now.

She has often written about the rich symbolism and mystery surrounding the Raven, said to be the most intelligent of all birds; I’ll leave that to her. I found the Raven mystique infectious, and I’ve been reading about Ravens and hoping to make contact with one or two. They are in my head too.

You can follow her work with the Raven on her blog, www.fullmoonfiberart.com

I am by no means objective about Maria or her work, but this one affects me. I’m sure she has a lot of plans for her Ravens; today, I congratulated her for this beautiful work, mushrooms and all. She’s the real deal.